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Low blood protein and chest fluid

I've never felt the need to post on a Cavalier forum, but now I feel myself needing to ask advice from fellow owners.

Out Cavalier, Bobby, is 10 years old and has had a medium grade murmur for the last 4 years, but no outward symptoms of CHF/MVD. Following a short bout of diarrhoea and vomiting last week he has had much laboured breathing over the weekend, even when asleep, and has been very restless. He's eating fine, and no coughing, just lethargic and not wanting to go upstairs.

Took ok to the vet today and X ray shows chest cavity filled with fluid - suspected pleural effusions. Blood work shows very low total protein and albumin - total protein at 28 when lower end of reference range is about 55. The vet says it's very serious and a matter of days or weeks, rather than months left. We are distraught.

We we take Bobby back in the morning for bile acid test to check for liver function, and for urinalysis and ultrasound. Vet doesn't feel it's MVD/CHF related and his murmur still reasonable, though might be masked by the volume of fluid.

So it's a tumour somewhere, or his liver I guess. Anyone with suitable experience please?

We've had this kind of experience, too. Since MVD is always on our mind, when one of our cavaliers with a murmur, aged 14 at the time, began showing what we thought were symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF), we took him to a cardiologist. The vet said that his vital signs indicated that his symptoms did not appear to be heart-related, and that his MVD remained below the level of CHF. We ran out of time before we could pinpoint his disorder, but it was believed to be in his abdomen.

Further update. So all kidney and liver tests clear. Possible lymphangiectasia, but most likely CHF (due to MVD) related. Vet want to treat as CHF pending abdominal ultrasound on Monday to check intestinal linings and for any tumours. Low proteins thought most likely due to the large pleural effusion and some abdominal oedema.

Now on furosemide 10mg three times daily, pimobendan 1.25mg twice daily, 20mg spironolactone daily, benazepril 2.5mg daily - due to likelihood of CHF being the cause of the pleural effusion, now that they aren't contraindicated due to kidney or liver failure.

Starting to to transfer him to feeding Royal Canin Vet Cardiac diet, as it's low salt, high protein and relatively low fat - so not a bad food tip fit turns out to be lymphangiectasia (either primary or secondary to the CHF).

just fingers crossed for the ultrasound - at the moment CHF is a good diagnosis for him compared to alternatives.

if it turns out to be 100% CHF then the pleural effusion is fairly unusual, particularly when no exercise-induced dyspnoea or hear able lung fluid.